To Love And To Lose

That Damnable Beeping Part 2

It really makes you wonder what goes through the minds of shooters. Did this one plan this? Was James the target? Or was James in the wrong place at the wrong time?

I looked down at my friend and wondered these to myself as Adam got slapped by the android.

"Shit.." He muttered and rubbed his cheek, now bright red from the slap. I'm sure that if I wasn't so worried for James, I would have felt the slap from where I was.

The nurse huffed and left the room, only to be replaced with another nurse. She pressed buttons on the machines that James was attached to, then turned to me.

"You should probably go." She spoke flatly, it had nothing to do with her being an android, and everything to do with Adam and the look he's giving her.

With a quiet nod, I obliged and looked at James one last time before walking out of the room, pushing Adam out in front of me.

My mind was reeling, thoughts shoving their way to my attention. I was getting a headache, and not from my hangover.

"York! York! Is he okay?! What happened?! What happened to James?!" Daeris was running my way, her hair was a mess, her eyes wide, her clothes ruffled. She look like she woke up and sprinted the whole way here. Which of course she was no where near healthy enough to do.

"Daeris? What... What are you doing here?" I tried to focus on her, it was hard. It was like my whole world was upside down

"I-I heard... I heard about James. I got a phone call while I was sleeping." She was blushing, at least I thought she was. It could have been from the effort it took her to run here from the elevator.

"They told you? Why would they call you of.. All.. People..?" My jaw dropped, how did I not notice? A blind man could have seen what I hadn't. "He's your boyfriend." I realized, my voice dropping as I held my head in my hands. My heartbeat pounded against my skull, let me out. Let me out.

"He's my fiancé actually.." Daeris embarrassedly tried fixing her hair, not meeting my eyes as I stared at her.

How could I have been so selfish? I worried so much about loosing my job that I didn't notice my own sister getting engaged.

"Why didn't you tell me?" My voice cracked, my baby sister.. All grown up. With James, she didn't need me anymore.

But James is dying.

The unwelcome thought made me suck in a breath, I leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. I had to sit, I couldn't think straight and keeping balance was the least of my worries.

"We didn't want to upset you.. We know how you rely on James when you have nightmares.." Daeris cleared her throat as she fixed her clothes. "I'm.. Going to go see him now. Relax brother, everything is going to be fine."

"Depends on your definition of fine." Adam spoke for the first time, joining me on the floor. "Are you alright, York?"

My head swam, his voice seemed far away. James is dying. My sister, my baby sister's fiancé is dying. And so is she... No! She has time, she's just weak, she can overcome this. Everything will be fine.

...Right?